Street-car motor



(No Model.)

0. R. ERWIN.

STREET GAR MOTOR. 70*9 38 immeumzs, 188

W Z M a Wz'inesses Attorney.

N. PETERS. mwmno n mr. Wishinglou. 0.12.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO R. ERVVIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET-CAR MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 270,938, dated January 23, 1883.

Application filed June 5, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO R. ERWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful 1mprovements in Street-(Jar Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the at'companyingdrawings, and to letters or figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification- Figure 1 being aside view, and Fig. 2 a plan, of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in motors for propelling street-cars by horse-power.

It is well known that by the common methods of propelling street-cars the greater part of the animal-power is expended, not so much by heavy pulling as in traveling at the rapid speed required, compared with which the exertion actually required on ordinary grades of roads is very light.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by which the animal may rest on level or declining roads, and thus reserve his strength, to be applied when required only;

also by which the normal-power of the horse may be multiplied to any extent desired, whereby steep grades may be ascended and heavy loads. started and drawn without requiring additional exertion of the horse.

To accomplish this end a car, A, is provided for the horses, which is adapted to be propelled by them upon an ordinary-car-track. The car is provided with two large drive-wheels, K K, and two or more smaller wheels, K K, and an ordinary tread-power, B. The inclination of the tread-power corresponds to the difference in the diameter of the wheels, and is adapted to be reduced by elevating its rear end, which object is accomplished by the screws 0, or other equivalent adjustingdevice, whereby the power is increased without increasing or diminishing the motion of the car.

H is a driving-shaft, which is connected with and actuated by the tread-power. The respective ends of both shaft H and shaft A are provided with conversely-arran ged conical-shaped driving-pulleys D D and E E. The pulleys D operated by said shaft H at the same time.

and E are connected together by bands F and F, by which motion is communicated from the driving-shaft to the drive-wheels K K. The bands F and F are respectively provided with shifting-levers G G, by which they are adapted to be shifted from the smaller to the larger ends of said conical'shaped pulleys and the motion or power increased or diminished, as desired. Both of the driving-pulleys D D are arranged loosely on the shaft H, and are driven forward only when engaged with one ofthe clutches J J. The clutches J Jare adapted to move laterally upon said shaft, while they are provided with grooves and flanges of common construction, which engage with and cause them to revolve with the shaft. The clutches D D are connected with each other and adapted to be simultaneously shifted by the shifting-bar L, which bar is operated by the lever M. When desirous to communicate motion from the shaft H to the driving-wheels K K,'one of the movable pulleys D is coupled with one of the clutches J, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby said pulley is caused to revolve with the shaft H. To facilitate in reversing the motion of the motor one of the bands is crossed and the other is straight. When the pulleys upon which the crossed band operates is thrown in gear the car is driven forward. YVhen the opposite pulley, D, is thrown in gear the car is driven backward. But one of said movable pulleys is It therefore becomes necessary to engage one and disengage the other simultaneously, which end is accomplished by the connecting-bar L, as mentioned.

N is a' circular ratchet, in which the lower surface of the lever M is adapted to engage, whereby it is retained where adjusted, and the clutches J J, respectively,-locked both in and out of contact with the clutches on the pulley, as mentioned. The screws 0 O are revolved and the lower end of the tread-power raised by revolving the hand-wheel O,-from which motion is communicated to said screws through shaft P, chain-wheel Q, endless chain R, chainwheel S, and chain R. The respective sides of the tread-power are provided with stationary nuts T for the reception of said screws, which raised. Thus as the screws are revolved in said nuts the rear end of the power is elevated, as mentioned. Motion is communicated from one screw to the other by the endless chain belt It.

When the car is running downgrade I am enabled to check the motion of the horse without decreasing the motion of the car by the brake A, which is actuated by the lever B, and thereby thrown against the friction-bearing A, whereby the power Bis stopped. Motion is communicated from lever B to said brake through chain G and elbow-joint levers D, as shown.

When desirous to check the motion of the car it may be accomplished by revolving the crank D, from which motion is communicated to the brakes E by chain F'in the ordinary manner.

When desirous to utilize the strength of the horse as well as his weight the draft appliances are connected with the car, which is being drawn by the rope or chain G, which is supported at the required height by pulleys H H, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters and inversely from the larger to the smaller, ends of said pulleys, whereby the power and motion are increased or diminished, as set forth. .2. In a tread-power motor, the device for changing the inclination of the tread-power, consisting in the combination of screws 0 O and nuts T, endless chains It and B, shaft P, chain-wheels S and Q, said screws 0 being provided with a supporting-socket, said nuts T being secured in pivotal bearin gs to said treadpower, and adapted to raise said power as said screws are revolved, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a street-car motor, the device for reversing the motion of the car, consistingin the.

combination of sliding clutches J J, pulleys D D, straight and cross bands F and F, bar L, and lever M, said lever being provided with a pawl and ratchet for retaining itwhere adjusted, as set forth.

4. The combination of tread-power B, supporting-frame l, shaft or axle A, and driving-wheels K K, said axle being adapted to serve as the pivotal bearing upon which said power turns as its rear end is raised and adjusted, substantially as shown.

5. The combination, with the draft appliances of the motor, of pulleys H H and chain G, said chain being adapted to extend from the motor to and be connected with the car to be drawn, whereby in starting the draft ofthe horse is first applied directly to the rear car, as set forth.

In testimony \vhereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ORLANDO ll. ERWIN.

\Vitnesses JAS. B. ERWIN, CHAS. LITZKY. 

